Kollywood actor Vijay successfully wrapped up the inaugural political conference of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), on 27 October 2024. This event is seen as a pivotal moment in his political journey, where he subtly hinted at his political adversaries. Although he did not explicitly name them, it was clear that he views the DMK as his main rival in Tamil Nadu and the BJP, the ruling party at the national level, as his ideological opponent.
In an extempore fashion, Vijay also made some comments which can be perceived as indirect references to actor Rajinikanth.
Vijay stressed the importance of actions over words, which can be construed as a sly jab at Rajinikanth’s mere words about “system change” and his U-turn on political entry.
While Rajinikanth has expressed intentions to enter politics in the future, he has repeatedly postponed his plans, and finally backed off citing ‘health concerns’. It is another matter that he continues to act in films produced by DMK-family owned production houses. His fans were left frustrated by his continuous hints about a political career that never materialized.
Vijay said, “In the beginning, I also thought, what’s in politics for us? Let’s act and get paid. But isn’t it selfish to think that only we should prosper? Would it be loyal to do nothing for the people who have made us live? What are we going to do by accumulating wealth above a certain level? What are we going to do for these people who gave us life? So many questions like these kept coming to mind. When I thought about the answers to all these questions, I realized that the answer is ‘politics.'”
In this context, Vijay’s remark, “What are we going to do by accumulating wealth beyond a certain level?” was a pointed jab at actor Rajinikanth. Vijay implied that Rajinikanth, despite claiming he would enter politics, continues to work steadily in films aligned with Dravidian themes while still earning a substantial income. While Rajinikanth had previously assured his fans of his political ambitions, he later dismissed those plans, citing health issues, yet he remains active in acting and continues to receive annual paychecks.
Vijay also added, “Well, what about this politics? Can we handle it? Does it align with our nature?” so many questions arose, almost as if a goblin had emerged. It appears that if we keep looking at everything with a magnifying glass, we can’t do anything properly. Sometimes we can do good for those who believe in us only if we take action and address things without thinking about the consequences. I felt it here, that’s why I came down.”
This was a pointed critique aimed at Rajinikanth, who has been teasing his fans about entering politics since 1996. That year, he publicly criticized then-Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, stating, “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if she returns to power.” He supported the DMK-TMC alliance, which won the elections.
In 1998, Rajinikanth backed the DMK-TMC alliance once more during the Lok Sabha elections, but this time, the alliance did not succeed. From 1999 to 2003, he avoided endorsing any political group. However, in 2004, he subtly urged his fans to vote against PMK candidates, indirectly supporting the AIADMK. That year, the DMK-Congress-PMK alliance won all 39 Lok Sabha seats.
From 2004 to 2017, Rajinikanth remained largely silent on political matters. On December 2017, he announced his intention to enter politics, and by March 2020, he suggested that it was up to the people to determine if he would pursue a political career. Ultimately, on October 2020, he acknowledged that he would not be entering politics after all. he underwent a renal transplant and the plan was closed for good he declared no intention of politics in 2021.
Critics argue that Vijay’s intense remarks aimed at Rajinikanth were influenced by Rajinikanth’s recent anecdote involving an eagle and a crow during the audio launch of “Jailer”. Rajinikanth shared the now-famous “Eagle & Crow” parable, which illustrates that while the eagle soars high with grace, it remains composed. In contrast, the crow incessantly caws and tries to provoke the eagle, which chooses to ignore the disturbance and continues its ascent. No matter how much noise the crow makes, it will never reach the heights of the eagle.
This story was interpreted as a subtle jab at Vijay, especially given the song’s lyrics suggesting that the title of “superstar” exclusively belongs to Rajinikanth. Vijay’s comments, therefore, can be seen as a response to Rajinikanth’s longstanding pattern of teasing fans with promises of a political career that never materialized, while Vijay has taken the plunge into politics.
The event wrapped up with a rallying cry for his supporters, reinforcing Vijay’s dedication to political engagement and community service.
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